Playground Games has revealed more about the upcoming new Series in Forza Horizon 5 in the latest Forza Monthly stream, with nocturnal naughtiness the theme.
The 19th Series since the game’s launch in November 2021 will be called “Midnights at Horizon”, and it brings with it a longer night-time period, new world makeover items — some of which glow in the dark — and four vehicles which are new to the entire Forza franchise.
Night-racing is the theme, leaning not only into the existing Horizon Street Scene but the “Grit Reapers” team challenges from the new Rally Adventure Expansion which launches ahead of the Series change this week. The new cars and the new world makeover also play off that.
A pair of new Cadillacs join the festival, with the Blackwing variants of both the CT4-V and CT5-V. These 2022-model cars are the American answer to the D- and E-segment performance sedans of Europe: Audi RS4 and RS6, BMW M3 and M5, and Mercedes-AMG C63 and E63.
The CT4-V packs 472hp from a twin-turbo, 3.6-liter V6, while the CT5-V goes the traditional American route of a supercharged, 668hp, 6.2-liter V8, so these aren’t cars that will be dawdling about the map.
Joining the Cadillacs on the all-new shelf is the Rimac Nevera. This will be somewhat familiar to Horizon fans as the concept version of the car — the Rimac Concept Two — has been in both FH4 and FH5, but the Nevera is the car’s final production form.
With 1,914hp courtesy of four individual motors, one on each wheel, the Nevera is among the fastest-accelerating cars in the world and can push on to a top speed of over 250mph — although only in certain circumstances and with Rimac’s say-so.
Finally there’s the Lexus LC500, a slightly older car but one which is making its Forza series debut nonetheless. It’s a large, luxury touring coupe from Lexus, using a 470hp, 5-liter V8 without any forced induction.
There’s a new lease of life for several other cars in the game too, with new bodykits for two generations of M3 (1997, 2008) and the Camaro ZL1 1LE, and new Rally bodykits for 25 different rally category vehicles — from the Volvo 242 to the 2017 Focus RS.
In addition there’s a new Tire Profile feature that allows players to fit oversized wheels and tires on a wide range of 4x4s, pickup trucks, and SUVs, for maximum off-road style.
Two big new features coming to the game were already announced when Rally Adventure was revealed: Anti-Lag and Launch Control.
Launch Control is a new global assist that allows you to get the perfect getaway from a standing start — either on the road or in races — while Anti-Lag keeps the turbo spooled between gearshifts to make for faster lap times and exhaust flame effects.
The Series-long world makeover majors on illumination, with new neon props in races and decorating the forest airstrip — Aerodromo en la Selva — that you can also use in your own EventLab creations. You’ll also find the drone lighting display from Rally Adventure lighting up the Runway PR Stunt jump and the area of Las Dunas Blancas that serves as the portal to Sierra Nueva.
A new Neon Cube collectible will appear in the playlist across the season, along with a neon “Tank” sign at various locations for the photo challenges.
Rally Adventure itself also appears on the Playlist, with bonus events for players who own the DLC, just like Hot Wheels. Again, you won’t need access to them to hit 100% on your weekly points haul, and the prize thresholds aren’t affected, so they don’t affect players who don’t own the DLC.
The Series 19 update will be available on Tuesday March 28, with Rally Expansion going live on Wednesday March 29 — either included Premium Add-Ons/Expansions Bundles or the Premium Edition, or as a separate, $19.99 purchase — ahead of Series 19 getting underway on Thursday March 30.
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